What Does It Take to Bring the Right People Into the Same Room — and Make Them Speak Honestly?
For more than three decades, the Kopaonik Business Forum has gathered leaders who shape the social and economic future of Serbia and the wider region. To make KBF a true meeting point for business networking and dialogue, the most important task has been to create an atmosphere of trust and authenticity. That means selecting participants carefully — not by position or sponsorship, but by expertise, credibility and willingness to contribute to open discussion. By bringing together representatives of politics, business, civil society, foreign experts and academia, we created a space for sincere dialogue, free from hesitation or fear of consequences.
What’s One Rule You’ve Had to Break to Make Your Event Truly Meaningful?
Our main goal is for KBF to serve as an annual reality check of economic and, more broadly, social change in Serbia and the region. That is why we first “broke” the rule that a business forum should only deal with economic issues. We widened the scope to include education, culture, sport, local communities and questions of values and responsibility. Secondly, KBF is not a strictly protocol-driven or politically “safe” event. Critical voices are welcome. Instead of formality, we foster spontaneous and lively dialogue — with diverse and often opposing views.
How Do You Balance Neutrality With the Urge to Drive Change?
The Serbian Association of Economists, which organises KBF, must remain neutral and objective. At the same time, the Forum is a space for open questions rather than pre-written answers.
Our role is not to judge but to enable opposing arguments to be heard and, through exchange, to reach new understanding. Neutrality, for us, does not mean passivity — it is a conscious decision to believe in the power of dialogue. KBF therefore does not impose positions but inspires productive conversation.
What Moment Made You Realise That Convening Is Leadership?
We realised it when participants began returning year after year. KBF became a “must-attend” event — not only because of its topics, but because of the sense of belonging it creates. When people who might never otherwise meet sit together and start to collaborate, you understand that convening is leadership. KBF is more than an event; it is a space where ideas, partnerships and new energy for change are born. Our leadership lies in inspiring others and staying in step with the times.
If Dialogue Is Power, How Can Our Region Learn to Use It Better?
Our region has a long history of loud monologues and few genuine conversations. Unfortunately, political leaders often see dialogue as a contest of words rather than a search for understanding. That is why KBF has a special role — it teaches us to listen. Not to speak in order to win an argument, but to better understand events and processes, and to find better solutions. When listening becomes part of our culture — in institutions, education and business — dialogue will become a tool of progress rather than mere rhetoric.
